Worth Fighting For
by Stephycats7785
Summary: Sequel to 'Letters'. After Leah is taken by the Volturi Vladmir is determined to get her back no matter the cost. Will the Romanian be able to gather up and army and save the She-wolf or will he be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Worth Fighting For**

**Rating: T**

**Pairing: Leah/Vladmir**

**Summary: Sequel to 'Letters'. After Leah is taken by the Volturi Vladmir is determined to get her back no matter the cost. Will the Romanian be able to gather up and army and save the She-wolf or will he be too late?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

"This isn't our fight."

"I have a daughter I need to watch out for. I won't endanger my little girl."

"There has to be another way other than going to war."

"Strategically this is a bad idea. They out number us by a vast number and even if we called in every favor owed to us it still would not be enough."

"She must be so scared."

"What is she to us? What has she ever done for us?"

"Cool maybe we will actually get to fight this time last time was such a letdown and I was pumped up for a fight and everything."

"Leah isn't our responsibility anymore."

"We have to think of everyone. Is the loss of one worth the potential loss of even more?"

Vladmir was about ready to explode with anger as he listened to everyone gathered at the Cullen's talking about the current situation with Leah. He couldn't believe the way they were acting. It was no wonder why the she-wolf hated it here so much and why she had turned bitter and mean. He had no doubt he would behave the same way if he'd been in her position. Finally he could take it no more and let out a loud growl which shut everyone up almost instantly as they all turned to look at him. Good now he had their attention.

"I cannot believe what I am hearing." Again a growl rumbled up from somewhere deep in his chest. "You all stand here questioning as to why you should fight to get Leah back. This is the same girl who was willing to lay down her life for the half vampire without question. She hates almost all of you and yet she was willing to die for you if she had to and you can't do the same for her? The way I see it is you owe her this at the very least. After everything is has been through the least you can do is this. You think facing the Volturi is a frightening thought? Well that is nothing compared to what the two remaining Romanians can and will do if something happens to Leah and I would to be someone who did not try to save her."

"The packs will fight." Jake stated as he stepped forward after shooting a glance at Nessie. "At least my pack with fight I can't say the same for Sam's. Leah is my pack sister and it is our fault the Volturi even know about her in the first place."

"We will join you." Benjamin stated for himself and Tia. They had only arrived a couple hours earlier and Amun had decided he would not be joining them this time around. "Every creature living or dead has a right to live their lives the way they want and they have the right to be free while doing so. I do not know the female shape shifter that well, but I will fight with you to ensure her freedom."

"We owe the Volturi pain for what they did to our sister." Kate stated from her spot next to Tanya and Garrett. It was obvious that they were thinking about their sister Irina who had lost her life at the hands of Caius.

Garrett smirked and slung his arm over Kate's shoulder. "Where she goes I am sure to follow."

Alice and Jasper stepped forward which surprised some of the Cullen's since usually Jasper would never do anything that could put Alice at risk if he could help it. "She is family to Jacob Black and Jacob is family to us and we fight to protect our family."

Carlisle and Esme stepped forward which made Rosalie and Emmett do the same. Edward seemed torn as he looked at his wife who shook her head no and even though Bella did not agree he stepped forward with the rest of his family. "It is the right thing to do."

"It's a suicide mission!" Bella yelled trying to hold Nessie back when her daughter wanted to join the others. "If we go to Italy we will surely die. Now Leah and I are not friends and I am sorry she was taken, but she knew what she was getting in to when she went to Romania. She knew there was a chance that one day Aro would want revenge. I have a daughter I need to think about."

"I want to help." Nessie stated as she finally broke out of her mother's grasp and went to stand next to Jacob. "She was willing to fight for me so I want to do the same mom. I'm sorry if you don't agree, but I am old enough to make my own choices."

Bella let out a deep sigh as she reluctantly joined the others. "I won't let my family fight alone, but I have to ask why you even care Vladmir?"

"I care because I-" He paused and looked at Stefan before back at the others. "I care because she is worth fighting for and because I love her."

Everyone was surprised to hear those words leave his mouth. Nobody had ever figured the Romanians to be capable of love and hearing him admit it knocked them through a loop. Some of the others nodded letting him know they would be willing to fight as well. Zafrina reached out to take Seth's hand. She had never really said it out loud, but she cared about the young male shifter. If he was going to face the Volturi he wouldn't be going alone.

"It is settled then." Stefan spoke breaking the sudden silence. "We will gather as many as we can and then we are going to war. I have been waiting 1500 years for this day to come."

"Start getting in touch with as many people as you can. I have someone I need to call." Vladmir stated as he headed in to the other room to make the call. Silently he begged whatever god may exist that Leah survive until they could get to her. He needed to tell her how he felt and he would be damned before he lost another woman he loved to the Italian scum.

TBC…

**AN: So here is the first chapter of the sequel. I would love to hear your thoughts on this and who you think Vladmir is going to call since I would love to hear your theories. I have to rest now, but I will be looking forward to your reviews.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Vladmir stood in the deepest, darkest, and most remote part of the woods in Forks Washington. He sighed impatiently waiting for someone to arrive. It had been two days since everyone had decided to go to war in order to save Leah and since then vampires had been coming from all directions and every place on the different ends of the earth to help aid in the rescue attempt. A lot of them were friends of the Cullen's while others owed the Romanians a favor which was being called in. That was one of the good things about being as old as they were. It gave them plenty of time to make allies for when they would need backup and if you were not a friend to Stefan or Vladmir they would use blackmail to get what they needed. It had worked well for the Romanian vampires and so they saw no reason to change their ways now.

Suddenly the rustling of leaves grabbed Vladmir's attention as he looked up from the ground and in to the shadows of the forest. First three men obviously of Native American decent stepped out and looked around as if checking for signs of danger. When they were satisfied that the blond Romanian had come alone as instructed they stepped apart revealing a woman who looked a lot like Leah except older probably her mid-thirties and she had long hair that went well past her waist. Her dark eyes were kind yet wary at the same time and anyone who looked at her could tell right away she had knowledge and to the supernatural creatures of the world she radiated power. If Vladmir was seeing her for the first time he would no doubt be on his knees due to the pure energy coming off of her in waves.

"Ayliah," He greeted her with a nod keeping his distance. "I thank you for traveling all this way and agreeing to help."

"Anything I can do for an old friend." The woman stated with a small sarcastic smile. They had never been friends and yet you couldn't exactly call them enemies either. "Besides you told me it was a female shifter that was taken. We females are rare and living as long as I have and knowing what I do about the Volturi the last thing I want is for them to get their power hungry hands on one of my kind especially one so _young. _She has much to learn and I fear what harm may be done if the Italian vampires figure exactly how valuable she is."

"Her power matters nothing to me Ayliah and I told you as much back in Romania." He replied not wanting to get in to a drawn out conversation about power and shape shifters. His main concern right now was Leah and nothing else mattered nor would anything else matter until she was back in safe territory and far away from anything Italian. "I love her."

Ayliah nodded once as if agreeing with him. "I know you do. Do you honestly think that I would be here if I thought your motives to be anything other than pure?"

His jaw clenched to keep from saying something that may send Ayliah back to Romania before they could rescue Leah. He would just have to play nice and for him to do that it really showed the depth of his feeling for the only daughter of Leah Clearwater. "Then I suppose I should be grateful for your help. Did you get in contact with others and if so how many are coming and how soon?"

"All of them." The woman replied as her smirk widened. "The heads of all the tribes have been contacted and they are gathering from all over the world. They we be arriving before the end of the week. I have a lot of pull when it comes to the elders of the other tribes so it should not surprise you any Vladmir. You do know once I have helped you with this that my debt is repaid right? That was part of the deal. I help you save the girl and we are even."

Vladmir offered her a small smile. "Yes we had a deal and I intend to keep my end of the bargain. You help me save the woman I love and you'll never again have to see my face or Stefan's again. Now would you care to meet the others? I told no one that you were coming so it will be interesting to see their reactions. I don't usually say this and mean it, but I thought you should know that I really appreciate what you're doing for me, I mean for Leah and I."

Alyiah let her expression soften for a moment. "I remember what it was like for you after you lost your daughter. She was the last link you had to your human wife and I would hate for you to lose another woman who has come to mean so much to you. Now if you will kindly take us somewhere we could get some food I would be eternally grateful. It was a very long trip and we haven't eaten yet. Also we would prefer for our food not to have a heartbeat. I haven't been to the states in years so having some nice American food will be a treat for all of us."

Vladmir let out an honest laugh at her comment. "Esme will be thrilled to have someone to cook for. She is a strange vampire even by my standards. She acts like a human mother and she loves _everybody _and when I say that I mean everybody. I doubt she has a cruel bone in her entire body. Even I can't find it within myself to hate her and as you well know I hate everyone expect for a rare few. Remember some of the vampires here may not be pleased with your presence, but I will not tolerate fighting during a time we must be united. We have a mission and _that _is what we need to focus on for the time being."

TBC…

**AN: So here is the next chapter and I have to say one reviewer was spot on with who Vladmir had decided to get in touch with. Let me know what you all thought of this chapter. I would love to hear your thoughts and again thank you all for the get well wishes, being stuck in bed sucks so I write when I have energy. It comes and goes. Anyways, I would love to hear your thoughts.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

The reaction from everyone at the Cullen home to Ayliah and her guards was about what Vladmir had expected. Most of them were polite enough though you could tell that everyone was wary. Ayliah radiated power and especially to the younger vampires that was intimidating. The nomads were the ones who seemed to have the strongest reaction. Their teeth were bared as they hissed and growled even though it had been almost two hours since she arrived. The Cullen's had a lot of questions and she answered some of them while ignoring others. There were some things the vampires simply should not know even they claimed to be different than others of their kind. Still Carlisle respected her wishes and with a few murmured words to the members of his family all questions had stopped.

Nessie seemed to be the one who was most fascinated by Alyiah. She kept looking over at the older woman with a smile full of questions she did not dare ask and yet there were some questions she just had to get out in the open. "Why do you wear a necklace made out of teeth? Are they your teeth?"

The female shape shifter laughed at the question because it wasn't the first time someone had asked her that. "No these teeth do not belong to me. They are actually teeth from vampires I have protected my tribe from over the years. This is actually my fifth necklace and I have four more back home in Romania. It is meant to be a reminder of what I am fighting for."

"Oh…" The young half breed got a look of horror her face as she slapped the palm of her hand over her mouth almost as if she feared Alyiah would take her teeth at any moment.

"That is absolutely _fascinating." _Carlisle stated in wonder as he took a good look at the necklace around her neck. "Does the venom inside of the fangs not affect your skin? I would think that it would burn you at the very least."

"I would prefer to stay off that topic if you don't mind good doctor." Alyiah told him politely, but at the same time making it clear he was to drop the topic. "A girl has to have a few secrets."

Vladmir rolled his eyes. As much as he enjoyed Alyiah's humor at times it was apparent now was not to be one of those times. He had more important things on his mind. "Do you think we could move on to the topic which we have all gathered here to discuss? We need a strategic plan in order to get Leah out of Volterra safetly."

"Are you even sure she is in Italy?" Bella questioned with acid coloring her words. "I mean what proof do we have other than your word that she was even taken? How can you be sure she didn't just leave? She craves attention and that would be a good way to get it."

The blond Romanian let his head whip around as he snarled at her. He had quickly grown tired of the shield and her comments. "I think I know Leah a lot better than you do and if I were you I'd watch your words when it comes to her. You may think that you are powerful because you are new, but I have lived a _very _long time and I know that strength is _nothing _compared to age and experience. You do _not _want me as an enemy Isabella Cullen, trust me when I tell you this. Leah was taken and you ask me how I know this? I was there while it happened. Stefan was out and they came out of nowhere. They must have been watching us for a while because somehow they knew exactly how and when to strike. Aro _wanted _me to watch and that is why he had Jane incapacitate me with her power. The pain she inflicted on me was _nothing _compared to the pain I felt watching them take her and knowing there wasn't anything I could to do to stop them. Do not ask stupid questions or I _rip _out your tongue and put it on a golden chain."

The mind readers wife backed down almost immediately though everyone could see that she wanted to say something, but she was smart enough to know that wasn't a good idea. The others also knew better than to say anything that may upset him. Alyiah knew how much he was hurting and she also knew that he was right and they needed to start working on a strategy in order to save the woman from La Push. It was time to get down to business.

"First of order is to figure out exactly how we want to do this." She stated taking a sip of the coffee Esme had made for her. "If we are going to storm their lair we needed detailed blue prints so we can be sure to cover all exits and enterances."

"I can get you those." Alistair stated from where he stood in the corner. "I have a lot of contacts who know things about the Volturi and so I will call in a few favors owed to me. It should only take a day or two to get what you need."

Alyiah nodded as she set her coffee down on the table. "As soon as we have that we can move forward, but I think that Vladmir has something to tell you about his past. It may help you all to understand why this is so important to him."

Vladmir sent her look letting her know he was not happy with her before looking at the others. She did have a point and as much as he hated to admit it they had a right to know if they were willing to risk their lives for Leah. "It all started when I was still human…."

TBC…

**AN: Hey guys I wanted to get this out before I rested for a while. Let me know what you thought and if you liked it or not. I would love to hear more of your theories.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Eventually Vladmir found himself out in the woods in the very spot he and Leah had spent countless hours at talking about anyone or anything really. They had spent so much of their time here that when he took a deep breath he could still catch her scent even though it was extremely weak. Still it was the only thing he had left of her at the moment and so he would cling on to it for as long as he possibly could. Sometimes coming out here and seeking out Leah's scent was the only thing which kept him from killing every single person living or undead in the Cullen household. Some of them were really starting to get on his nerves and the Romanian had never been good at keeping his temper in check so it was only a matter of time before he finally blew his top. Since he had told them about his daughter he was always getting pitying looks and he _hated _it because he did not need their pity. Even the other Romanian could feel it approaching and that is the main reason Vladmir was alone most of the time. His friend did not want to be within range when Vladmir popped is top.

The rustling of leaves caught the blond vampire's attention and he looked up to see the not so little anymore half creature come out from behind some trees. His red eyes looked past her for signs of her parents and when he found none he looked at her waiting for her to talk which she must want to do considering she had been the one to seek him out. "I am sorry if I disturbed you, but I need your help."

Her statement caught his attention right away. What could she possibly need his help with? They were not friends nor did he even like her very much he simply tolerated her presence. "I do not have time to play childish games if that is what you're after. I have important things I should be doing and I cannot-"

Nessie was quick to cut him off with a shake of her head that sent her bronze curls flying in all directions. "I want you to teach me how to fight. I asked Uncle Jasper, but mom and dad had already gotten to him and told he wasn't allowed to and since he doesn't want a fight he reclined my request. I would ask Uncle Emmett to teach me since he wouldn't listen to my parents, but he has his strength that he relies on and I don't so I need to learn how to fight cunningly and I immediately thought of you. I want to be able to help in this fight and I won't be able to do that if I have no idea what I am doing."

The Romanian thought about the time Leah had wanted to learn to fight like a Romanian. She may not have been willing to show it at the time, but the female shape shifter had been excited to learn. She was a fighter at heart and that was something he could appreciate. "I suppose I could show you a thing or two about defending yourself."

The young girl grinned as she started jumping up and down happily. "Oh thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me. I can't stand how my parents are always trying to protect me. I mean don't get me wrong because I love them and yet at times I wish they could see that I am mature enough to handle myself."

"The first thing you need to know is how to use your speed." Vladmir went straight to the lesson. He wasn't usually one to have conversations with others unless it was something important or with someone he cared about. "You have an advantage being so small. Being the size you are allows you to move quickly between people or things and it helps if you need to hide. Being light on your feet is also important. Think of it as dance. Each step you take is crucial and you need to use your opponent's moves to your advantage. For example if I throw a punch you need to choose if you would rather duck, jump, or try to turn my own move against me. Like a dance you must change up your moves frequently or else it will get boring and your opponent will be able to counter and if that was to happen you are most likely dead. Here let's try a few practice rounds. I'll go slowly at first and then start to speed up."

Nessie nodded and when his left arm shot out at her face she was quick to duck. The next one came lower and would have hit her directly in the abdomen if she hadn't jump, but she did and so he missed his target. They continued on this way for what seemed like hours and in reality it probably had been since it was starting to get dark. Ness wanted to keep going and she even tried to convince him by telling him they could see in the dark and she would need to learn to fight in dark areas as well as bright ones.

"Nice try little one, but it is getting late and your mother is probably frantic with worry." He couldn't help it when he laughed at her antics. In some ways she reminded him off Leah and Vladmir figured he would get to know her better. Maybe they would even end up as friends. Placing his hand on her shoulder he offered her a microscopic smile. "We always have tomorrow to practice again. You don't want to wear yourself out to early."

"Pinky promise that we will practice again tomorrow." She demanded with one hand on her hip and the other stretched out so he would be able to lock pinkies with her. "_Nobody __**ever **_breaks a pinky promise."

The centuries old vampire felt a sad smile come to rest on his lips. Vladmir looped his pinky with her much smaller one. "You remind me a lot of my daughter. She used to do the same thing as you and make me pinky promise on almost everything so there was no chance I could go back on my word. You have my guarantee that we will practice again tomorrow. I will make a little warrior of you yet."

"Like Leah?" Nessie question as hoped filled her eyes. "I want to be just like her when I grow up only not as mean."

Again he smiled and chuckled. "Yes, exactly like Leah. I'll let you in on a little secret; you are already like her in more ways than you know."

TBC…

**AN: I hope that you all liked this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts. I wanted Ness and Vladmir to sort of get along because you all know it would annoy Bella. Plus she feels it is her fault Leah was taken in the first place and wants to make it up in any way that she can.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

The centuries old Romanian vampire had been right on target when he had told the Halfling that her mother was probably sick with worry. When they got back to the Cullen house Bella was as close to tears as a vampire could get even though both Edward and Alice were assuring her that Nessie was perfectly fine. Apparently the tiny seer had seen Vladmir teaching her to fight in a vision, but Isabella was not accepting what she was hearing. Everybody had been too busy trying to calm her down that they did not hear Vladmir and Nessie enter the house.

"I don't care what you saw Alice!" The newborn stated as her still partially red eyes filled with worry and irrational panic. "You're visions can always change. How do you know that he won't or hasn't already hurt her? For all we know he could have killed Leah and this is just some sort of trap to get the rest of us killed so that he can fulfill his dream of wiping out the Volturi? Ness is just a little girl and she has this habit of trying to see the best in people. She is going to end up trusting the wrong person. Besides, we all heard the story about his daughter. What if he hurts her as some sort of weird revenge? For all we know he could hate her because she is a constant reminder of what he lost."

Edward stepped in this time and to Vladmir's surprise it was to defend him something he never thought would happen. "As must as I distrust the Romanians I can read his mind and so I know that he has no intention of hurting our daughter. In fact he hardly ever thinks of her unless she is mentioned in a topic or if she is in the room. His main focus is finding Leah and getting her away from danger. Vladmir honestly does love her which is something I never thought him to be capable of. If I am going to be truthful I never really took the time to get to know him. I thought I knew all that I needed to know from the thoughts of others and now I am finding out exactly how wrong I was. Bella you know that I would never allow for Nessie to be put in danger of any kind. I would do whatever I had to in order to keep her safe and I think I have proven that. Vladmir is _not _a threat to our daughter nor is Stefan."

"He is right mom." The half breed finally spoke up alerting everyone to their presence. "He was actually teaching me how to fight since you won't let Uncle Jasper teach me. I know that you are trying to do what you think is best for me, but I have to know how to defend myself. I am perfectly safe with Vladmir mom. I actually had _fun _today and he taught me a few things that will help me defend myself does the need ever arise. He is going to teach me more tomorrow and don't try to forbid it mom because I will just do it anyways. I don't have a power like you so I _need _to be able to fight somewhat. Well I am totally exhausted so I am going to bed. Thanks again Vladmir and I promise to do better tomorrow."

Everyone watched the little girl skip up the stairs. Vladmir had to admit that she was not as bad as he had first assumed. She was not at all like her mother which was a good thing. Speaking of her mother Bella was glaring at the Romanian as if she wanted to set him on fire with her eyes. "How dare you? How dare you teach my daughter to fight without my permission! You got your daughter killed and I will not let you do the same to mine!"

The blond vampire had about enough of Bella Cullen and her big mouth. He put up with her for the most part, but right now he was ready to snap and so he did. Before anyone could react he had his fingers wrapped around her throat and he pressed her against the wall so hard there would be a dent no doubt. "First of all your daughter _came _looking for _me _and she _begged _for me to teach her how to fight. I have had about enough of you and your snide comments. You think that because you've been a vampire less than a year that you know _anything_? You know _nothing _about our kind. If I were you I'd learn to shut my mouth because one of these days it is going to get you in to real trouble. The _only _reason I don't tear your head from your shoulders right this second is because your shield may be useful in battle, but if you continue to get on my nerves I _will _finish you off without a second thought. Do we have an understanding?"

When she nodded he released her watching as she dropped to the floor and looked up at him in fear. He could feel the mind reader glaring at him, but the boy was smarter than his bride and knew not to start something he would be unable to finish so he gathered up Bella in his arms before disappearing upstairs leaving Vladmir alone with only his thoughts. The Romanian sighed as he sat down on the couch and let his head fall in his hands. Would Leah have the same fate as his daughter? Was every woman he cared about going to be destroyed by the Volturi? No, he would not let the past repeat itself. He would get to the female shape shifter in time. This time he was prepared and knew what he was up again. At least this time around he had a fighting chance.

TBC…

**AN: Still tired from my trip, but I wanted to post this anyways so let me know what you thought and if you liked it or not. You know I love hearing what you guys think.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Thousands of miles away, across the ocean, the three leaders of the Volturi were sitting in the throne room discussing their newest 'guest'. Marcus wore a look of boredom, Caius wanted nothing more than to kill the female shape-shifter to be done with it, and Aro appeared to be giddy at the prospect of having the only female shape-shifter in history. He figured that. if he could tame her, then the Volturi would be unbeatable. Since he did not have Alice, he would take the female wolf as his consolation prize.

Caius was the first one to bring up the one problem they all saw coming. "The Romanians _will_come for her. You should have allowed us to take them out then and there."

"Brother," Aro said calmly, though the anger at being questioned was bright in his blood red eyes. "You think I'm naïve enough to believe that they _won't _come for her? I'm hoping for it. Sometimes I wonder how you survived this long without a brain in your head. If we had taken on them on in Romania, they would've had the advantage even though we had the numbers. They know the land, and as much as I am loathe to admit it, they have allies. It's better that they come to us, where we have the upper hand."

"What about the girl?" Marcus's question came out a slow drawl. "The Cullen's will no doubt come to her aid."

"Carlisle will not risk the safety of his family like that," the true leader of three answered with all the assurance in the world. "While he cares immensely about the wolves, his family is the most important thing in the world to him. This shifter may be a friend, but family is more important to my old friend and he will do whatever it takes to protect them, even if it means the death of the female shifter."

"What about the others?" Caius remarked as his eyebrow rose. "Vladmir will no doubt have been in contact with everyone he knows. If it comes down to a fight where sides must be taken, it will all come down to fear and loyalty. Some will choose to stand by the one's they fear most, and the Romanians are rather good at frightening people. Are you sure this one _mutt _is worth all the hassle?"

Aro could hear the distain dripping from his brother's words. "She is the only one of her kind, and that _has_ to mean something. If Vladmir wanted her, he wanted for a reason."

"Master Aro." Jane entered the throne room with her head bowed out of respect. "There is a problem with our captive. She refuses to eat, and when we forced the food down her throat she made herself throw up immediately afterwards."

A frown curled his lips downward. The dog would do him no good dead. "It seems as if we will have to give her some kind of motivation. I want you to go out and find a nice ripe child. If she refuses to eat again you will snap the child's neck. I think she is smart enough to get the hint, but if she is not, then you will repeat the process until she comes to her senses."

The adolescent immortal nodded. "It shall be done."

Jane then left the room to carry out her orders. A part of her, the small _human _side that could not be squashed completely, actually felt kind of bad for Leah Clearwater. When Jane had first been turned to find out her family, all accept for Alec, of course, had been slaughtered, she wanted nothing more than to curl up and die. She had refused to feed, which infuriated Aro to the point where he had Felix torture Alec until she had finally given in. So yes, she felt for the female wolf. Hopefully, the girl would not fight for very long; it would do her more harm than good. Surrender would be the best route to take; it would be easier on everyone.

Back in the throne room, all was silent. Aro pressed the tips of his fingers together as he thought about how best to use the female shifter to his advantage. Obviously, she would need proper training. However, as much as Caius might have wanted to break her in, Aro knew his brother's distain for wolves and shifters of any kind, so he would leave the training to someone else. Perhaps he would assign the girl to Marcus. It would give him something to do other than sit around and mourn for the loss of his mate.

"Marcus." He waited until the other man turned to look at him. "I want you to be in charge of training the girl. I do not have the time to do so myself and I need Caius here to help with the battle plans for the attack. Feel free to use any technique you desire as long as you do not permanently damage her. If I recall, you used to be quite talented in the art of torture. I trust that you know what will happen if you fail to do as requested."

Marcus let out a long, unneeded sigh. "Of course, Aro, I will do as you desire. It may be nice to take my revenge out on the dog. It was Vladmir and Stefan who took my love away from me, and I am inclined to return the favor. I shall start in on her training tomorrow morning. There are a few things that I need to get together before I proceed, so I must take a trip into town. I haven't been out and about for a while now. It shall be interesting to see how things have changed."

"Be cautious," Aro warned. "We have enemies everywhere."

TBC…

**AN: Thanks again to my great beta reader for editing this.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Leah had no idea how long she had been locked in the room no bigger than her closet back home in La Push. When she first arrived, the she-wolf had started counting the seconds that passed…well, after she'd realized that trying to escape was pointless. She had been close a couple of times, but now that she thought back on it, she realized the leeches must have let her think she was going to escape. It was their form of torture or whatever, and since she would never give them the satisfaction of knowing they had won round one of this game, she had moved on to counting the seconds until she lost track and had to start all over. That got boring real fast, so she started to sing every song she knew in her head as a way to pass the time, but again it grew tedious. There were only a limited number of songs she knew by heart anyways.

"You could at least give me a T.V. to watch you know!" she hollered at the door, not sure if anyone was even listening, but ranting made her feel better so she continued to yell. Anything was better than sitting in silence, doing nothing. "I would even take a good book, as long it's not something lame like, 'Kidnapping Werewolves for Idiots'."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Leah had to wonder if maybe they were listening to her which would have been a step from the guys at home who _never _listened to her. When one of the three leaders, the one who seemed to have no personality whatsoever in her opinion, stepped in the room, she had to wonder if they had moved up their plan to bore her to death. It was when she noticed the leech carrying a box of what she would describe as torture devices did Leah start to get worried a little bit. Still, she managed to push her fear to the back of her mind and cover it up with her usual sarcasm.

"If you wanted to alleviate my boredom by letting me torture you then you should have come days ago," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest, watching as he started taking items out and setting them on the floor. "Well, you answered my internal question of what to get an evil blood sucker who has everything."

Marcus took great care in setting each item down carefully before he raised his eyes to meet hers. "If I were you, I would take great care in how I addressed my captor, now that you see exactly how extensive my collection is."

She rolled her eyes. "You _aren't_ me, so you can't tell me how I should behave. Besides, my collection at home is _so_ much cooler. Here's an idea, how about you let me go and I'll run back to Forks to get it so we can compare?"

The centuries old vampire sighed. "Your useless chatter is getting on my nerves. It would be so much easier if you just answered my questions without a hassle, but since that won't be happening, it gives me a reason to practice my torturing skills. Do you have _any_ idea how long it has been since we've had a guest who refused to tell us what we want to know?"

"Do you know how much I don't care?" she shot back with a tone full of boredom. "The problem you leeches seem to have is the fact you think that everything on this planet should bow down and kiss your sparkling asses. If you're going to torture me then just get to it, but you should know that I won't be telling you anything. I've suffered real torture and your childish games aren't going to break me. It takes a whole lot more than you have to break Leah Clearwater, but-" Leah shrugged indifferently, even though she was starting to feel a bit nervous in the pit of her stomach, "-if you're bored, then give it your best shot. I'm sure that you'll miss."

Marcus started to slowly walk around the room observing the the female shifter from all angles. He wanted a good view of her entire body so he would be able to assess her weak spots. "You know, whenever I have met someone who acts as if they have no fear, I realize they are the easiest ones to break. It won't take me long to get the answers I seek."

Leah scowled before she locked every muscle in her body. She had learned a long time ago how to deal with physical pain. "You've absolutely no idea how much I'm going to enjoy proving you wrong, bloodsucker. You think that you know anything about pain, just because you have a knack for causing it? Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't have a clue as to what _real _pain is. You can't, because you lack the ability to feel anything real. Can we get this over and done with already? I can't wait to prove you wrong. It'll be the highlight of my day."

Marcus, who hadn't really felt anything since his wife died the final death, was actually rather annoyed at the female shifter. She thought she had any idea of what real pain was? Well, _he_ was going to prove _her_ wrong, and have a good time while doing it. He hadn't really enjoyed anything in a long time, and he knew he'd enjoy this without a doubt. Marcus would take pleasure in breaking her. Maybe in doing this, he would finally be able to fill the whole in his very existence left by the death of his wife. Even if he was unable to get the answers he wanted, at the very least he knew he would gain some form of pleasure from this task.

TBC…

**AN: Thanks again to my wonderful beta without her I have no idea how crappy these stories would be. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and oh I am feeling a bit better so I will try to update more often if I can.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Seth Clearwater was in an unbelievable amount of pain. His sister had been kiddnapped, so it was pretty much a given he would be in emotional pain, but on top of that he'd been in a great deal of physical pain as well. He could feel the pain that those monsters were putting his sister through, and he knew whatever the leeches in Italy were doing to her, it had to be bad. He and Leah had always had a strong bond and they knew whenever the other was hurting, because they felt it, too. When Sam had left her for Emily, Seth had felt her pain, and now he was feeling Leah's pain again, and it hurt so much more knowing there was nothing he could do to help her for the time being.

"Is it still hurting?" Zafrina had grown to care for the young shifter and she hated the thought that he was experiencing any sort of pain or discomfort. "I could blind you, if you want. It will make you numb to the pain. You won't be able to feel anything, but it would give you time to rest and regain your strength."

Seth shook his head, his teeth clenched in agony. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't let you turn it off. I _need _keep this connection between us open. As long as I can feel her pain I know that she is still breathing. Besides, I can take the pain, I'm strong enough. I'm Leah's brother, after all, and if she can take, it then so can I."

Nobody wanted to respond to that because everyone silently wondered how long Leah would be able to endure whatever torture was being inflicted on her. Nobody wanted to tell Seth that it was probably only a matter of time if they did not get to Leah soon. They would let him have his hope because that hope was the only thing he really had. Who wants to be the one to tell the boy his hope may be fruitless? Most of them might have been considered monsters, and yet none of them wanted to be the monster who would have to break Seth's heart.

Vladimir had been practically glued to Seth's side since the boy was his only connection to Leah. "With the amount of pain you are in, my best guess is that it's Marcus who is inflicting the torture. It's one of his specialties and one of the reasons – besides his power, of course – Aro keeps him around. The good news is that he won't kill her. He's too skilled when it comes to torture. He knows how to inflict the right amount of damage without it become life threatening, and Leah is much too valuable to waste."

Jacob could tell the Romanian vampire was holding something back and whatever it was, it probably wasn't good. "What's the bad news?"

Vladimir let his red eyes meet that of Seth's dark brown ones. He decided that he would be honest with the boy. "Marcus has nothing to lose. With his wife dead, he needs something to occupy his time, a distraction. Your sister is just the distraction he needs. He'll do whatever it takes to get the answers he wants, _anything_to get her to we are going to make a move for her rescue, we need to do it soon, or there will not be anything left of Leah to save."

Almost immediately after, Seth let out a bloodcurdling scream, grabbing the attention of everyone in the Cullen household. He was squeezing his arm and thrashing about, though Zafrina did her best to keep him from falling off of the couch. "It hurts! Oh, God! It feels like he's boiling her skin! We need to make it stop! My sister is in pain and nobody's helping her! Why aren't we helping her?"

"I don't think we can wait much longer," Jacob stated, his voice strained as he watched Seth thrash around in pain. It was so bad that, against his wishes, Zafrina had no other option than to blind him. "We need to make a move and soon. We have the numbers and I-"

"It's not enough." Jasper had been standing in the corner while everything had been going down and he, having the best military experience, knew that he had to say something. "This is not going to be like the battle for Nessie's safety. We're not gathering witnesses, we're gathering fighters and even with all that, it's not enough. We need warriors, and I know exactly where to get them."

Alice looked at her husband and the second she did she knew what he was thinking. "Jasper, no! You can't honestly want to bring that horrible woman here?"

"What other choice do we have?" Jasper argued with a sigh. "I'm not thrilled with the idea of getting in contact with Maria, but from a fighter's point of view, it's the best option. She'll have the numbers that we need. Plus, Maria loves a good fight, and this will appeal to her."

"Then we'll find this Maria as soon as possible," Vladimir stated in a tone that made it clear there would be no arguments. "Jasper and I shall travel to wherever her known last location was and track her down. If for whatever reason she turns down his offer to help us in our quest, I will be there to persuadeher to see our side. The rest of you should stay here and continue with your training. Stefan can oversee everything. Jasper, I suggest you spend tonight with your wife because we will be leaving in the morning. If you feel someone should come with us, I'll leave that up to you."

Jasper nodded before glancing at Peter who nodded back, agreeing to Jasper's silent request for Peter to accompany him. Though Peter and Maria weren't on terms quite so good as she and Jasper were, it made sense for Peter to go considering that he had also once been a part of Maria's army. Hopefully she would agree to help without much argument because Vladimir wouldresort to whatever means necessary to get Leah back, and if Maria could be of help, then Valdimir would do whatever it took to get her on their side.

TBC…

**AN: Hey all I hope you enjoy this chapter. I think that it turned out alright and I would love to hear your thoughts on it as usual. Once again thanks to my beta who is busy with school and yet still finds the time to edit my stuff.**

**Please R&R like always!**


	9. Chapter 9

***Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Finding Maria had been a lot easier than either Jasper or Vladimir had expected. She was still in Texas, and apparently, she hadn't been worried about being discovered. Jasper wondered if she'd heard that he was searching for and made things easy for him; if she hadn't wanted to be found, then she wouldn't be, Jasper knew that better than anyone. Maria could always sense when something was going down and normally, she would want to be in on the action, so of course as soon as Jasper and Vladimir entered Texas they were on her radar. What they didn't expect, however, was for _her_ to be the one that sought _them_ out.

She was waiting for them on the outskirts of Dallas, smirking with her arms crossed over her chest. Jasper recognized that smug look well. "It's been a long time Jasper. I never thought that I'd be seeing you again. Did you miss me? I heard you went vegetarian, is that true?"

The scarred vampire grimaced as he took a breath he didn't need. "It's always a pleasure to see you Maria." That wasn't true, and she knew it, but he figured that buttering her up would make her more amiable towards him. "I see that time has not changed you." No shit. "I came here because we need your help."

The Spanish beauty tilted her head. She already knew this, of course, but she was still surprised to hear him say it. "You need my help?" She grinned wickedly. "Oh, I _like_ the way this conversation is going so far. I should shut you down without bothering to hear you out – don't think I don't remember your betrayal, Jasper dear – but seeing as I have nothing better to do, I suppose that I can spare a few minutes to hear your story."

"A friend of ours was taken by the Volturi and we want her back," he stated quickly seeing no reason to make this conversation last longer than it needed to me. "The problem is that we don't have the numbers to take them on. With you on our side, however, the scale would tip more in our favor. I remember how much you love a fight, especially when the odds are not in your favor. You know that I wouldn't have come to you if I had another choice; my options are very limited here."

Maria nodded as her smirk widened. It was time to ask the question she'd been waiting for. "What am _I_ going to get out of this? The Volturi won't go down without a fight, and I'll lose a great many of my soldiers if I agree to help you. Why should I risk it all to help someone I don't know?"

Jasper grew uneasy at the look on her face. "What do you want?"

"I'm not sure." Maria could think of hundreds, _thousands_ of things she wanted from Jasper and his new family, but she couldn't pick just _one._ "You would have to give me some time to think about it."

That was when Vladimir decided to speak up. The Romanian vampire was just about fed up with this woman and her attitude. They did not have time for this; _Leah _did not have time for this. When he spoke to her, his voice was a low, feral growl and his eyes were narrowed into deadly slits. "Time is something that we don't have at the moment. If you want to know what you will get in return then I will tell you. If you help us, you _won't_ have to watch your back for the rest of eternity, because I can tell you that if you decline our plea for assistance, I will make whatever time you left on this Earth a living hell. We have never met in person, but I'm sure you've heard the stories of the Romanian vampires and that would mean you know what I'm capable of. If you're smart – and I have no doubt that you are – you'll do whatever it takes to make sure I don't end up on your bad side. Now, it's your turn to choose what you're going to do. Are you going to help us get our friend back, or do I have to show you why Stefan and I are feared by so many vampires worldwide?"

If Maria hadn't been so good at hiding her emotions, Jasper knew that she would be wearing a look of terror. Nobody had ever spoken her in such a way because almost everyone feared her, so it was strange for her to have the tables turned. Jasper felt Maria suppress the fear and calm herself enough to answer. "I suppose that I could help you. Like I said, I don't have very much to do these day. No new armies have emerged and my soldiers could use some practice. At least this way I'll get rid of some of the useless ones. I'll need a day or two in order to gather my troops."

The blond Romanian glared at her again once. "You have exactly sixteen hours, starting now, and you'll be grateful that I'm being so generous. I would suggest that you don't even_think_ about double crossing me; trust me, that's not in your best interest."

Jasper's sire saw his words as a challenge, but this one time, instead of rising to it, she would back down. Though Maria loved a challenge, she didn't want to end up in war with the two remaining Romanian blood drinkers. Of course, the thought of pissing the Volturi off did not sit well with her either, but Maria knew that when it came to situations like this one she would have to pick the side she feared more, and right now it was the Romanians. While the Volturi could be terrifying, they were not nearly as frightening as Vladmir. If the Italian vampires had not burned their castles it was very likely that the Romanians would have completely wiped out Aro and the rest of the guard.

"You have my word," Maria assured him. And, being careful to add in the one thing she wanted at the very end, she concluded, "And the only thing I ask for in return is that when the Romanians finally rise back to power, you won't be as strict when it comes to the laws concerning the vampire armies."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Leah's entire body hurt, even the places she didn't know _could _hurt, and she was pretty sure that if there was a mirror nearby, the reflection looking back at her would be one giant bruise. Purple had always been her favorite color, but she wasn't sure that she would ever be able to look at it without having flashbacks of her torture sessions hosted by Marcus. For the rest of her life, she would remember her time in Italy, and _not _with fondness in her heart.

She missed home; the home she had made with Vladimir and Stefan in Romania. Leah never thought she would see the day when she _wanted _to see a vampire, but there you go. She missed Dracula One with a passion she had not felt since before Sam broke her heart. What she wanted most was to close her eyes and open them again to find her vampire rushing to come to her rescue like the prince who rescued the damsels in distress in the fairy tales her father used to read to her when she was a little girl. But alas, Leah knew how her life worked, and nothing good or romantic like that ever happened to her. She figured she was simply destined to die in this pit of death, despair, and blood.

She wasn'tt actually concerned about what would become of her when she died. She did, however, worry about her brother and mother. Who would watch over Seth? Sure, the bloodsucker-version of the Brady Bunch probably would, but they weren't exactly her idea of a good influence. Jacob was so wrapped up in Nessie he tended to forget the people around him, so he was out, too. And the _last_ person Leah wanted to look after her brother was Sam Uley. Maybe Charlie would keep an eye on him; he was pretty cool when he wasn't banging her mom. Or if Charlie couldn't step up, maybe Vladimir could. If she trusted one person to make sure her brother lived a long and healthy life, it was the blond Romanian. He knew what Seth meant to Leah and would do everything in his power to keep him safe and happy, the way she would have wanted him to remain.

All of sudden it was if a light turned on for the she-wolf. She realized that her train of thought was depressing the shit out of her. She needed to remain strong and stop acting as if she were dead already. The fact was that she was still alive and as long as she had a breath left in her body, there would always be hope. If she simply gave up, the Italian bloodsuckers would win and that was just wrong on _so_ many levels. Leah knew that if she wanted to make it out of Italy alive, she needed to stop mentally whining and get her inner fight back. Crying and moaning was something that Bella or Emily would do, and she was levels above them.

_Get a grip, Leah!_ she thought at herself fiercely as she got up off the floor. _You don't need someone to rescue you; the only person who you need to save you is _you_, dammit! The next time that emotionally warped leech comes in here, you're gonna give him the fight of his miserable existence. You're Leah fucking Clearwater, and you're gonna start acting like it._

Finally managing to make it to her feet, Leah stretched her aching muscles, which groaned in protest. Shaking off her body's complaints, she took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair. It wouldn't be easy taking on one of the Volturi leaders, especially because she hadn't eaten a real meal since being kidnapped from Romania, but she knew that it wouldn't be impossible. All she needed to do was remember everything Vladimir had taught her about the Volturi. Of course, she would have to wait for exactly the right time because she couldn't risk messing up her one shot, but when she did make her move, she would win. She was sure of it.

Leah was fighter through and through and she would do this in order to get home, her _real_home with the two Romanian vampires. She would live to see her brother again, she would live to see her mother again, she would be there to make gagging noises when Jacob eventually married Nessie. Yes, she would be there for everything; it was a promise she made not only to herself, but to everyone she cared about. Plus she just _had _to live to continue to make Sam's life a living hell, just as she and Vladimir had joked about so many times.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!**

Stefan was worried about Vladmir. They'd known each other for thousands upon thousands of years and were closer than even the closest of brothers. They knew everything there was to know about the other and would do anything to ensure one another's happiness. It was one of the reasons Stephan had accepted Leah without question, even though she was a shape-shifter. Though he wasn't particularly fond of the species, it didn't matter _what_she was, so long as she made Vladmir happy. The female shifter was a part of their family, and they would protect her in a way they'd been unable to protect their family in the past.

"She's going to be fine, Vladmir," Stefan stated, sitting next to his friend on the porch – he couldn't stand being inside with everyone else, it was just too much to take. "You must know the Italian scum aren't fool enough to really hurt her. They know what we will do to them if there is one scratch on her when we get there."

The blond Romanian continued to stare blankly at nothing. "I was unable to protect her. It's like history is repeating itself. I couldn't protect the one I love and now she's going through hell and there's nothing I can do about it. For all I know, she could be dead."

Stephan flinched at the tone of his friend's voice. "She's _not_ dead. You would feel it in your heart if she was, even though it no longer beats. You would want to be dead, as well. Don't give up hope, for all is not lost. We have an army willing to lay down their lives to get her back. You mustn't lose hope; if you do, then everyone else will, and then Leah may as well be lost to us. For her, you need to stay strong."

Vladmir nodded as he tried to shake off the _human _emotions, which were trying to strangle him. He had worked too hard for too long trying to keep his feelings under wraps. "Thank you, Stefan. Depressed is the last thing I need to be in this battle. We're going to get her back, and we need to step it up a notch. The time for training has finally come to an end. It's time for us to make our move. We cannot afford to wait any longer."

At that moment, Carlisle stepped out on the porch, seemingly upset. "Vladmir, we just received a call from Aro. He wishes to set up a meeting. I told him that I would speak to you and get back to him. I didn't want to make any decisions without you. Whatever choice you make, we support you."

The other male thought about it for a few seconds. If Aro wanted a meeting, it obviously had to do with Leah. If he accepted, it would either save or cost some lives. For all he knew, this could be some sort of trap, but on the other hand, it could very well be legitimate. This might have been the only shot he would get to get Leah out safely, and, he resolved, he needed to take it because he knew that there wouldn't be a second chance. Besides, if it didn't work out, there was always Plan B.

"Make the call," Vladimir ordered, getting to his feet. "Before you do, I have a favor to ask of you, Carlisle. We both know that I'm not much of a negotiator, so please take the lead when this meeting finally does take place. When it comes to a fight, I'm the vampire you want in your corner, but peacekeeping is a job for someone like you. I trust you, Carlisle, and I'm putting Leah's life in your hands."

The doctor nodded and smiled slightly. He was surprised, of course, but still pleased to see the Romanian acting so human. "I'll do my best to ensure her safety and make sure she comes back to you. I'll make the call now, and set up the meeting for as soon as possible. I think it would be wise to choose a neutral meeting ground where the Volturi won't have the upper hand."

"I trust you to choose the right place," Vladmir said as he headed back inside. "I'm going to grab some of the others and get some more training in. It's better to be safe than sorry."

He went inside and picked out some of the weaker fighters. They needed as much practice as they could get and since he had nothing other than time, he would watch over their training until the meeting. Training also helped to rid him of some of his stress. Beating on others had always been something he enjoyed, and all he had to do was pretend they were members of the Volturi. Today, he would pretend it was Marcus, and so anyone he faced off with would have to be prepared for a tough training session. With a smile, he headed out the door with a group following him. Soon he would have his Leah back, and once he had her, there was no way he would _ever _allow himself to lose her again.

TBC


End file.
